


Man Of Action

by tommygirl



Category: The OC
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, Season/Series 01, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-03
Updated: 2013-05-03
Packaged: 2017-12-10 07:42:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/783529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tommygirl/pseuds/tommygirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of drabbles featuring Ryan/Anna.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Man Of Action

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kashmir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kashmir/gifts).



_**Drabble # 1** _

Anna wasn’t sure when things had changed. For the longest time, it had been all about Seth. She couldn’t figure out if it was because he was safe or because Summer decided she wanted him too. Whatever the reasoning, it had been all consuming, making her feel stupid and childish and so not like herself half the time. Then Ryan showed up at the airport – brooding, so different from her – and told her not to leave. Said things like, “Didn’t know what he was doing...couldn’t imagine her gone...wanted to figure things out with her...” That was when she realized, somewhere in the midst of her Seth-addled brain, there were feelings for Ryan. She smiled and threw her arms around him, willing to ignore everything long enough to enjoy the moment.

* * *

_**Drabble # 2** _

How Ryan came to find himself knocking on Anna’s door was a mystery he didn’t really understand. He had been at the book store with Seth, listening to him complain about the compromises required in coupledom, when the conversation had turned to him, specifically, him and Anna. Ryan had scoffed at first – they were friends, closer than they were during her last stint at Harbor, but friends all the same.

At some point on the drive home, it became urgent that he see Anna. There was no reason for it, but he dropped Seth off and sped down the road. Maybe it was because, since her return to Newport, he and Anna had found themselves spending a lot of time with Seth and Summer...and spending time with another couple was wearing off on them. Maybe it was because he and Marissa had grown apart since she switched to public school. Hell, it was even possible that Ryan finally realized that Marissa would always love booze more than anything else.

Those were all possibilities, but somehow, he was pretty sure it had more to do with Anna. Her smile, and the way she laughed at his really bad physics jokes (whereas Seth mocked him relentlessly), and how she would never force him to talk. In some ways, she was a lot like Seth, willing to carry a conversation and allow Ryan to ignore whatever it was inundating his brain. Except, she was a hell of a lot prettier than Seth.

The light flickered on in the foyer and the door opened. Anna stood there in ratty old sweats and no make-up, and Ryan thought she’d never looked more beautiful. He forced a small smile and said, “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“It’s eight pm and I’m not five years old.”

“Right. Good.”

“Are you okay?”

“I was talking to Seth and...”

“Uh-oh. That doesn’t bode well.”

“Actually, it might,” Ryan replied. He closed the distance between them, his arms going around her waist and up her back, and his lips moving closer to hers. His lips hovered over hers and said, “He told me to be a man of action.”

Anna smiled and replied, “So what are you waiting for?”

Ryan pulled her against his chest and pressed his lips against hers. He still had no idea what possessed him to listen to Seth, let alone drive across town, but it was probably the smartest thing he’d done in a long time.

* * *

_**Drabble # 3** _

Anna and Ryan strolled out of the elevator, hands intertwined and lost in conversation. That stopped, however, when Ryan reached the door of their destination. Ryan placed his hand in front of Anna to block her from entering.

"What's wrong?" Anna asked, shooting an appraising look in Ryan's direction. It was the type he had grown used to over the years, the type that said she knew his every thought.

However, that didn't seem to be the case right then, and Ryan couldn't help but grin. He spent all morning and afternoon worrying about his plans for Anna, sure that she would figure it out. So far, so good.

Ryan picked Anna up, tossing her over his shoulder, and said, “Close your eyes.”

“What are you doing? Put me down,” Anna replied, though Ryan noted there was no protest in her tone.

“It’s our new apartment and I have a surprise for you.”

“Fine, as long as the surprise isn't that Seth helped you decorate,” Anna replied.

She closed her eyes and Ryan managed to push the door to their new apartment open. Their apartment – it still struck him as a dream, something that never seemed possible...but there they were, two recent college graduates starting a life together. He walked across the threshold of the room and placed Anna down on the sofa.

He nudged her and said, “Now you can open your eyes.”

Anna looked around. The entire apartment, as far as she could see, was filled with lilies. In the background, a small fire burned in the fireplace and the smell of dinner wafted through the air. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around Ryan’s neck. She said, “You remembered that lillies were my favorite flower."

"Of course."

She hugged him again and said, "When I met you, I never would’ve pegged you for the overly-romantic type.”

Ryan kissed her forehead and replied, “I think I needed the right motivation.”

Anna tossed her head back in a laugh. She pressed her hands into Ryan’s chest and said, “Smooth.”

“So you like?”

“I love. It’s perfect,” she said. She kissed him, allowing her mouth to linger until her lips parted and his tongue swept across the bottom of her mouth.

Ryan groaned into the kiss, his hands taking over of their own accord. He roamed the length of her back, lifting her shirt as he went and rubbing patterns into her skin. Each movement elicited a sigh from Anna that encouraged him to keep going. He tossed her shirt to the side and moved his mouth to focus on her throat and collarbone and that spot on her shoulder that tended to make her go crazy.

Her fingers grabbed onto his hair and brought his mouth back to her own, increasing the pressure and rubbing her body against his. Then suddenly she pulled away.

“I think the food is burning.”

“Shit,” Ryan replied, trying to catch his breath.

“I’m sorry I distracted you,” she said, with no remorse whatsoever.

“I’m not,” Ryan replied. He tossed Anna her shirt and hurried to the kitchen. He called out, “Dinner in ten minutes.”

* * *

_**Drabble # 4** _

Anna has always been one of those people who believes that everything happens for a reason. She always looks on the bright side (with a bit of cynicism thrown in) and she always thinks that things will work out in the end. But that doesn’t mean she’s completely insane...and to expect the recent developments in her life would be just that – insane.

Ryan has never been her type of guy at first glance. Leave the bad boy brooders and stoic types to girls like Marissa who thrive on drama. No, Anna likes the funny ones, the guys that are dependable and can make her smile no matter what.

It never occurred to her that Ryan was more that type of guy.

Now, it’s hard to imagine him as anything but that type of guy. He tells her silly stories to make her laugh when she’s had a bad. He always knows when to encourage her to talk it out or just hug her instead. And really, despite the rumors around Newport, she doubts Ryan has every truly been a bad boy.

A hand rests on her thigh and she turns her head to see Ryan staring at her rather than the television. He whispers, “What are you thinking about?”

Anna shrugs, kisses Ryan quickly on the lips, and says, “Nothing important.”

“You sure?”

“You better watch the movie. It was your choice after all.”

Ryan rolls his eyes and responds, “Somehow my choices just happen to be the movie Seth wants to watch.”

Anna laughs, garnering looks from both Seth and Summer. She smiles an apology and rests her head on Ryan’s shoulder. She’s beginning to like these unexpected turns in her life.

* * *

_**Drabble # 5** _

“It’s a little weird if you ask me,” Seth states.

Ryan rolls his eyes as he dumps the contents of his bag on the table. He says, “I didn’t ask you.”

"She's my ex-girlfriend."

Ryan stops going through his belongings and glances at Seth. He wonders if he miscalculated Seth's reaction. He knows Seth is happy with Summer, better than they've been in a long time, so he isn't still hung up on Anna.

"Are you...do you want..." Ryan stops because he's not sure how to ask the question and Seth looks amused.

"Am I still infatuated with Anna?"

"Something like that."

"Nope. Anna and I were finished a long time ago."

"So why's it so weird?"

"You wouldn't want me to tell you."

Ryan chuckles under his breath and replies, "You're probably right."

There is silence for a second and Ryan almost believes he’s avoided a long Seth Cohen conversation. But Seth looks up at him and says, “Not that I think Anna isn’t the coolest, Ry. I totally do. If there wasn’t my undying devotion to Summer that’s consumed me for years to contend with...well, Anna’s a good catch.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I don’t want to see her hurt.”

Ryan meets Seth gaze before he asks, “You think I’d hurt her?”

“Not purposefully.”

“Says the guy that continued to string her and Summer along because he was too scared to choose.”

“I didn’t mean...” Seth pauses. He stands up and places a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan knows by now that this is Seth’s way of maintaining the peace, of trying to keep Ryan from punching him. It usually works too.

Seth takes a deep breath and replies, “It didn’t come out right, okay? I know I screwed up with Anna and I hate what I did to her. But I do care about her and I don’t want to see anyone else hurt her.”

“And we’re back to you thinking I’ll hurt her.”

“You’re a drama guy, Ryan.” Off the look on Ryan’s face, Seth explains, “I can only imagine that’s why you tolerated Marissa for so long, or allowed yourself to get caught up in the love crises of your friends from Chino.”

“I don’t like drama.”

“You sure seek it out a lot for someone who doesn't like it.”

“I don't seek it out."

Seth rolls his eyes and says, “Dude, you totally do. You thrive on drama and it’s like...I worry that you’ll get bored with normal.”

“I like her, Seth.”

“I know. That's good.”

“I mean, I really like her. She makes me laugh. And we don’t have to talk all the time about things. We can just be.”

“Good, that’s good. If you can handle it.”

“I can.”

“Whatever you say, drama-seeker.”

“Don’t make me punch you.”

“Fair enough.”

"So, we're cool?"

Seth raises his hands in mock surrender. "Dude, you and I are fine. But Summer...if you hurt Anna, just remember Summer's rage blackouts. That's all I'm saying."

* * *

_**Drabble # 6** _

As she felt the bed shift, Anna turned over and placed a hand on the empty indent in the mattress. She groaned and opened her eyes to see Ryan hovering by the dresser, throwing on a tee-shirt. She smiled at said, “Good morning to you too.”

He rolled his eyes, but stepped closer to her and planted a chaste kiss on her lips. He brushed the hair back out of her face and said, “Merry Chrismukkah.”

Anna latched onto his hand and pulled him back down into the bed, draping his arm over her shoulder and resting her head on his chest. She said, “Rushing off on our first Chrismukkah together as a married couple. Should I be offended?”

“Not rushing off.”

She glanced at the clock and then hit him lightly in the side. “It’s six am on a Sunday morning. Not rushing off my ass.”

“I have some last minute shopping to do.”

“Excuses, excuses.”

“And then Seth wanted me to assure him that his gift for Summer would not cause her to fling him across the room.”

“Tell him to avoid comics. And his favorite band of the moment. And basically anything that he would want. Remind him what Summer likes,” Anna replied. She glanced up at Ryan and added, “Not that I believe your sad story. I still think you’re in a hurry to get away from me.”

Ryan leaned down and kissed her. Anna smiled into the kiss. He always was a man of action, rather than words. It was part of what she loved so much about him. She ran her hand across his chest and said, “Go do what you have to do, but later, I own you.”

“I like the sound of that.”

"Merry Chrismukkah, Ryan," Anna said. She kissed him again and all thought disappeared from her brain. Her grin widened and she knew that this would be the best holiday together yet.

* * *

_**Drabble # 7** _

“I’m not sure what you want me to say to that,” Anna stated. She focused her gaze on the poinsettia in Ryan’s hand in a sad attempt to avoid his piercing gaze. But Ryan kept staring at her, kept waiting for an answer, and she couldn’t help but look.

That was what did her in. She had never noticed it before, but Ryan had really beautiful eyes. The types she read about in books where it was like looking into the person’s soul. It was so incredibly cheesy, but so true. She leaned against the door and said, “I dated Seth, Ryan.”

“He’s cool with this.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And I care about you, Anna. I mean, you actually were my date that first night.”

“The one you ditched to run off after Marissa if I recall correctly.”

Ryan shut his eyes as though that fact had completely slipped his memory. Anna reached for the doorknob and said, “Go home, Ryan. I’ve already been the consolation prize once. I don’t plan to do that again.”

“It's not like that. I care about you, Anna. You make me laugh. And you’re drama free. It might surprise you considering my reputation, but I do prefer a drama-free life.”

“I never thought about you like that, Ryan,” Anna said. It was a lie. She wasn’t blind and she could appreciate the bad boy every once-and-awhile. It just wasn’t her thing, definitely not the type of guy she considered her perfect match.

Then again, Seth had fit that criteria and it had gone absolutely nowhere. “One date,” she finally said.

Ryan smiled. “Really?”

“Yes. One date. That’s it and I make no promises.”

“That’s enough for now. Seth would even call it a Chrismukkah miracle.”

Anna giggled. She met Ryan's gaze and returned his smile. She said, "Goodnight Ryan."

"Goodnight Anna."

"Call me to make arrangements for our date."

Ryan nodded. He reached out and brushed his hand over hers and said, "I'll see you soon."

**Author's Note:**

> I took part in the Secret Drabble Santa Project that took place throughout December. I was assigned to write for kashmir1, who I was happy to discover shares many of the same loves as I do.


End file.
